Sam Zahner Welcome to Icelantic
Sam Zahner
Profile and significance
Sam Zahner is an American freeski rider from Sparta, New Jersey whose edits-first, street-driven approach has become study material for a generation that learns from films as much as from contests. After moving west to Colorado in 2014 and later settling in Utah, he stacked influential parts with the Strictly crew—“Banged Up,” “Welcome,” “Bermuda,” and the all-street follow-up “Most Gutter”—while honing a movement language built on calm entries, long-held presses, precise swaps, and jump tricks that breathe. That combination earned him an athlete slot at X Games Real Ski in 2020 and iF3’s 2019 Discovery of the Year for his role in Strictly’s “Welcome,” cementing his place as a reference in urban/street skiing. On the brand side he rides with Icelantic Skis and represents Denver’s apparel stalwart Jiberish, with a previous limited-edition “Street Rat” graphic collaboration at J Skis. Zahner matters because his skiing reads clearly at half speed and translates to the parks most skiers actually lap.
Competitive arc and key venues
Zahner’s competitive résumé is selective by design, focusing on formats that reward touch and line design. The headline is his Real Ski 2020 appearance—an all-video, all-urban contest where execution and storytelling decide podiums. His edit with filmer Gavin Rudy showcased the same patient setups and organized exits that define his longer films. He has also stepped into peer-driven arenas like SLVSH Cup matchups on the Snowmass course at Aspen Snowmass, where trick calls test rail craft and composure under lights. These touchpoints sit alongside an intentional venue map: night-lap repetition at Park City Mountain, structured takeoffs and rail timing at Woodward Copper, and spring blocks on the XL lines of Mammoth Unbound. Together they explain why his clips feel both stylish and repeatable.
How they ski: what to watch for
Zahner skis with economy and definition—the two qualities that make street and slopestyle mechanics teachable. Into the lip he stays tall and neutral, sets rotation late, and locks the grab before 180 degrees so the axis reads cleanly on camera. On rails, the signatures are square entries, backslides and nose/tail presses held just long enough to be unmistakable, and exits with shoulders aligned so speed survives into the next feature. Surface swaps are quiet, with minimal arm swing; edge pressure is organized early so the base stays flat through kinks instead of getting rescued at the last second. Landings look centered and inevitable—hips over feet, ankles soft—which is why his segments hold up to slow-motion scrutiny and why coaches point to his skiing when teaching basics.
Resilience, filming, and influence
The film lane is where Zahner has had outsized impact. Strictly’s “Welcome” (2019) introduced him to a global audience and earned iF3’s Discovery of the Year; “Bermuda” (2020) broadened the cast while keeping his clear movement language front and center; and “Most Gutter” (2021) distilled a pure-street statement with Zahner credited as a co-director alongside Pete Koukov and Calvin Barrett. The through-line is a practical visual grammar: honest speed, horizon awareness, and compositions that let viewers read slope angle and body organization without guesswork. Away from premieres, his Real Ski season documented the shovel work, speed checks, and one-take pressure that urban riding demands—context that gives younger riders a realistic blueprint for building their own edits. Influence here is cumulative rather than viral: riders slow his footage, copy the checkpoints, and discover that patience and clarity are skills, not just aesthetics.
Geography that built the toolkit
Place explains the method. New Jersey’s small-hill roots made repetition second nature before he moved west. Colorado added the Summit County rhythm, with spring park laps at Arapahoe Basin and Keystone’s (historical) park builds sharpening speed control and switch comfort. Utah layered in volume and consistency via Park City Mountain, where dense rail sets reward clean entries and squared-up exits. When the assignment is “contest-sized,” Mammoth Unbound adds long decks and wind calls; when it’s street, Front Range and Wasatch cities provide the tight in-runs and thin cover that punish sloppy organization. Each environment left a fingerprint you can see in his skiing: patient pop, early grab definition, and line choices that keep momentum alive.
Equipment and partners: practical takeaways
Zahner’s current setup centers on Icelantic Skis park platforms, paired with apparel from Jiberish; earlier seasons included a limited graphic collaboration at J Skis. The hardware lessons for progressing freeskiers are straightforward. Choose a true park ski with a balanced, medium flex you can press without folding; detune the contact points enough to reduce rail bite while keeping reliable lip grip; and mount close enough to center that presses sit level and switch landings feel neutral. Keep binding ramp angles that don’t push you into the backseat. More important than any single product is the process visible in his edits: film laps, check shoulder alignment and hip-to-ankle stack against a short checklist, and repeat until calm approaches, decisive presses, and square-shoulder exits become automatic across slopestyle, big-air side hits, and urban/street skiing.
Why fans and progressing skiers care
Fans care about Sam Zahner because his skiing is built to last—clips that favor timing, organization, and line design over noise, whether the backdrop is an Aspen floodlight, a Mammoth spring build, or a handrail in a Wasatch neighborhood. Progressing skiers care because the same choices are transferable to normal parks: stay tall into the lip, set late, define the grab early, hold presses long enough to read, and exit with shoulders square so speed survives for what’s next. Add a résumé that includes an appearance at X Games Real Ski and iF3’s Discovery of the Year for “Welcome,” and you get a rider whose impact is equal parts culture and craft—someone whose blueprint you can copy on Tuesday-night laps and take with you into your own edits.
Icelantic Skis
Brand overview and significance
Icelantic Skis is a Colorado-born ski manufacturer known for durable, USA-made skis, distinctive top-sheet art, and a community-first culture. Prototyped in the early 2000s and brought to market in 2005, the brand has grown from a garage project into a certified, values-driven company with headquarters and a flagship store in Golden, Colorado and manufacturing in nearby Denver. The company’s mission—often summarized as “Return to Nature”—runs through its products, artwork, events, and partnerships. As a Certified B Corporation and Climate-focused operator, the brand publicly emphasizes longevity and responsible business practices over disposable gear cycles. Add a three-year warranty and a lively event calendar, and Icelantic has carved out a respected space among North American freeski and all-mountain brands.
The visual identity is inseparable from co-founder and artist Travis Parr, whose annual themes and artwork have become part of Icelantic’s calling card. That creative continuity, together with domestic manufacturing and a hands-on athlete program, positions the company as an authentic player in the modern freeski scene rather than a faceless global conglomerate.
Product lines and key technologies
Icelantic organizes its skis into clear families to cover freeride, all-mountain, backcountry, youth, and pro-collaboration needs. The freeride-focused Nomad and women’s Maiden collections are the most visible, updated in recent seasons for stability and versatility across varied snow. The all-mountain Pioneer series adds a more directional, confidence-building shape for daily resort laps, while the women’s Riveter line mirrors that role with sizing and flex patterns tuned for a broad range of skiers. Legacy shapes such as the Shaman have returned in modernized dimensions, reflecting the brand’s willingness to iterate fan favorites rather than abandon them.
Backcountry-minded skiers will find lighter, touring-friendly options in the Natural (men’s) and Mystic (women’s) lines—purpose-built for human-powered missions without giving up the brand’s sturdy feel. Youth models (Scout) bring the same build philosophy to developing riders.
Construction across the range emphasizes durability: Icelantic highlights a “bombproof” layup, USA manufacturing, and component choices selected for longevity. The brand’s Denver factory partnership with Never Summer Industries underscores that build story with domestic tooling and process control. A standout program is the Pro-Collab series, including Saba Pro and Nia Pro models designed directly with the athlete team for freeride and freestyle performance; these skis reflect collective input on shape, flex, and intended use rather than a single-rider signature approach.
Ride feel: who it’s for (terrains & use-cases)
If you’re attracted to a playful-yet-planted freeride feel, the Nomad/Maiden families deliver surfy turn initiation with enough backbone for chopped resort snow. All-mountain skiers who want a stable daily driver for groomers, mixed days, and off-piste detours tend to land in the Pioneer or Riveter series. Backcountry explorers who prioritize uphill efficiency while keeping a predictable feel on the descent should look to Natural and Mystic. Park-to-pow freeskiers who want a lively, landing-friendly platform that still handles speed will gravitate to the team-driven Saba Pro and Nia Pro.
Across these categories, the tuning leans toward confidence in variable conditions common to the Rockies and other continental climates: think wind-buff, tracked powder, and firm morning groomers softening by mid-day. Riders who prefer ultra-soft, disposable park noodles or hyper-specialized race skis are not the target; Icelantic aims at real-world versatility and season-long durability.
Team presence, competitions, and reputation
Icelantic maintains an athlete roster that actively feeds product development and brand storytelling. The official team includes big-mountain and backcountry riders as well as all-around creatives who film, coach, and guide. That collaborative approach shows up most clearly in the Pro-Collab skis, where the team participates in decisions on shaping, stiffness, and on-snow goals. Rather than chasing headline-only sponsorships, Icelantic’s reputation is built on consistency: durable skis seen under strong, style-forward skiers across film projects and community events. The brand’s cultural footprint extends beyond skiing through “Icelantic’s Winter on the Rocks,” a winter concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre that has become a signature Colorado gathering.
Geography and hubs (heritage, testing, venues)
Rooted along Colorado’s Front Range, Icelantic’s world revolves around Golden (brand HQ and retail) and Denver (manufacturing), keeping design, prototyping, and production close together. That proximity to major Rockies resorts and backcountry zones shapes the skis’ priorities: stability for high-elevation wind and chop, float for storm cycles, and quick engagement for tight trees and technical lines. The brand’s Denver build partnership and Golden storefront make it easy for riders to see and feel what “made close to home” means in practice, from layup details to mounting and service support.
The Red Rocks connection via Winter on the Rocks further anchors the brand to Colorado’s outdoor culture—tying music, mountains, and community into a single annual celebration that keeps Icelantic top-of-mind well beyond the chairlift.
Construction, durability, and sustainability
Every ski is built in Denver with close oversight of materials and processes, then backed by a three-year warranty—one of the strongest commitments in the ski category. That warranty isn’t marketing filler; it’s a structural part of the brand’s promise that your skis are made to last. Manufacturing with Never Summer Industries provides a proven, domestic production base known for precision composite work.
On the responsibility side, Icelantic publicly reports initiatives like solar at HQ, packaging updates, and a continuous improvement mindset in line with its Certified B Corporation status. Internally the brand frames these steps as part of returning to nature rather than green-glossing over impacts—an attitude that resonates with riders who want hard-charging skis without a disposable footprint.
How to choose within the lineup
Start by being honest about your primary terrain. If you spend most days at the resort chasing soft snow and side-hits, freeride shapes (Nomad/Maiden) should be your first stop. If your reality is mixed snow, groomers, and off-piste exploration, all-mountain options (Pioneer/Riveter) keep things calm and predictable at speed. For skiers who split their time between touring and lifts—or prioritize big days in untracked zones—the backcountry range (Natural/Mystic) offers lighter layups and uphill-friendly manners while retaining downhill confidence. If you want a more playful, comp-ready feel with athlete-informed shaping, the Saba Pro and Nia Pro in the Pro-Collab collection are the ticket.
Within any family, choose width and length based on home-mountain snowpack and your typical speeds. Heavier or faster skiers—and those in deeper climates—generally prefer wider, longer options for stability and float. Lighter riders, firmer regions, or technical tree skiing point toward narrower, slightly shorter lengths for agility.
Why riders care
Icelantic blends three things that aren’t often found together: domestic manufacturing with a real warranty, art-driven identity that makes skis feel personal, and a community presence that extends from athlete collaboration to events you can actually attend. For skiers who want gear that lasts, looks distinct, and comes from people you can meet at a storefront in Golden—or at a show at Red Rocks—the appeal is obvious. If you value authenticity, local build quality, and a lineup that covers freeride, all-mountain, and backcountry without losing the brand’s DNA, Icelantic is a compelling, long-term choice.
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